intersperse
verb
in·ter·sperse
ˌin-tər-ˈspərs 
interspersed; interspersing
1
: to insert at intervals among other things
interspersing drawings throughout the text
2
: to place something at intervals in or among
intersperse a book with pictures
Did you know?
Intersperse comes from Latin interspersus, a combination of the prefix inter- ("between or among") and sparsus, the past participle of spargere, meaning "to scatter." Sparsus is also the source of sparse.
Examples of intersperse in a Sentence
You should intersperse these pictures evenly throughout the book.
Some seagulls were interspersed among the ducks.
Recent Examples on the Web
Where things get tricky is the movies, which are interspersed throughout the franchise.
—
Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 24 July 2025
The crack of gunfire interspersed by booms could be heard in the background.
—Reuters, USA Today, 17 July 2025
Seed captured the essence of these conversations in the film by isolating the audio of Sheila’s interview questions and responding in her own voice, in voiceover interspersed throughout the movie.
—Eliza Berman, Time, 26 June 2025
To be sure, interspersed amid cinematic views of the Colosseum, Ara Pacis and Villa Medici, among other landmarks, are portraits of personalities and people that are shaping the city’s culture and everyday life.
—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for intersperse
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Chris Snellgrove, EW.com, 24 July 2025
The crack of gunfire interspersed by booms could be heard in the background.
—Reuters, USA Today, 17 July 2025
Seed captured the essence of these conversations in the film by isolating the audio of Sheila’s interview questions and responding in her own voice, in voiceover interspersed throughout the movie.
—Eliza Berman, Time, 26 June 2025
To be sure, interspersed amid cinematic views of the Colosseum, Ara Pacis and Villa Medici, among other landmarks, are portraits of personalities and people that are shaping the city’s culture and everyday life.
—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 27 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for intersperse
Cite this Entry
“Intersperse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intersperse. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
intersperse
verb
in·ter·sperse
ˌint-ər-ˈspərs
interspersed; interspersing
1
: to set here and there among other things
intersperse pictures in a book
2
: to vary with things inserted here and there
interspersed the photo album with her poetry
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